What Is A Mother?
by Mikage1
Summary: One-shot. Wolfram faces one of his most difficult challenges yet. Yuuri/Wolfram. Warnings: Mpreg.


**A/N: **One-shot the third.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kyou Kara Maou or any of its characters. I do own the babies, though; I share them with my friend and beta, Guinechan.

**Warnings: **Mpreg.

**Pairing: **Yuuri/Wolfram.

**Setting: **Ten years post series.

**Rating: **K+.

* * *

**What Is A Mother?**

by Mikage

"_It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding."_

~Erma Bombeck

After having been around for ninety-two years, one would think Wolfram would have been prepared for every challenge that would one day come his way. He'd studied and trained with the intent of making his way up the ranks in the military, and acquiring a position equal to that of his older brothers. His magic was stronger and more potent that most of the people in the kingdom (with a few exceptions, of course), and he'd fought for the lives of his family and friends, as well as his own. He'd faced death and come back from it, had proved his worth as a soldier, friend, and fiancé, and had been rewarded for his devotion and perseverance in the end.

He was very happily married. He and Yuuri had moved passed their differences five years ago, at which point Yuuri had gotten over his doubts and fears and had properly courted him with the same amount of determination and enthusiasm as he'd previously put into denying the engagement. They'd wed on a warm spring day only a year later, and their wedding had been one that would be remembered by the hundreds that had been in attendance for the rest of their lives. And though he and his husband had had their ups and downs since then, they'd always worked through them together, and their relationship had inevitably grown stronger because of it.

Being the equivalent of an eighteen year old human, Wolfram had already accomplished more in his life than he'd expected to do in such a short amount of time, and he took pride in each and every one of his achievements. As Prince Consort, he'd effectively gained the responsibility, authority, and respect he'd desired since childhood, and the situation with his personal life was one that he was immensely pleased with; he couldn't have asked for things to turn out between he and his husband any better.

But there was one thing all of his prior experiences could not have prepared him for, one occasion that could not have been planned for with any sort of certainty. After fighting numerous battles, bearing the pain caused by his previously unwilling fiancé, making himself the best that he could be and proving himself over and over again to all those who doubted him, Wolfram von Bielefeld had finally met his match.

Motherhood.

His own mother had claimed that it would be easy, as if having three children of her own had made her an expert on the subject of parenting. She'd given him all sorts of advice, some that had worked, and some that had infinitely failed, and had tried to prepare him for the responsibility to the best of her abilities, even going so far as to take time off of her continuous journey for free love to be able to coach him through the whole ordeal.

But there was a difference between he and his mother, one that proved to prevent her wisdom and prior experiences from helping him.

His mother had never had three-year-old human twins, with another child on the way.

Even every day tasks that should have been simple turned into something he could have only experienced in one of his nightmares, and the patience he'd never been in ample supply of was tried time and again, leaving him frustrated more often than not, and once or twice even on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

But he was surviving it, and he would continue to fight, as he'd always done before, even if it ran him ragged and killed him in the process.

"Alexandra, sit still so I can wash you," he demanded, kneeling before the tub he'd ordered to be brought into the room and filled with warm water so that he may bathe his children before tucking them into bed. Bath time for them meant play time, and he was already thoroughly soaked from all of their splashing. His daughter, the oldest of the two, was the one who'd made the most mess.

"I sit still, Mommy," she replied in her sweet little voice, and though she was indeed sitting in one place, the fact that she kept smashing her arms and hands into the water wasn't helping matters. "I sit still and have fun in water. Water go splash!!"

Wolfram merely let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes as she once again referred to him as 'Mommy.' He'd tried to correct them as soon as they'd started speaking and have them call him something less… feminine… but thanks to Yuuri and his teasing, the name had stuck and now there was no changing it, at least not until they were older and he could better explain why he was not to be called 'Mommy,' although they were so stubborn and set in their ways that even then it probably wouldn't help.

"Your Majesty…" a voice called to him from off to the side, and he didn't need to turn to look to know that it was the nanny Yuuri had hired against his wishes. "Please, allow me to help you…"

"I don't need your help in caring for _my_ children!" he snapped back, rinsing the soap suds off of his daughter, before moving next to the other twin, his son, his husband's heir to the throne, who smiled up at him brightly and lifted the same bath toy he always played with when it was time to wash up.

"Look, Mommy. Duck!"

Wolfram gave it a cursory glance, before going back to focusing on bathing him, trying his best to ignore the splashing still coming from the other side of the tub. "Yes, Nicolae. I see the duck. It's a very pretty duck, isn't it?" Not really… it was a duck like any other duck, and he figured the only reason he liked it so much was because it had been given to him by his uncle Conrart.

"I name it Chuck. Chuck the duck!"

He tried not to make a face at the poor excuse of a name - Nicolae was only three years old and couldn't be expected to be very creative when it came to naming things - but some of his disapproval managed to show through despite his best efforts "That's a very nice name. Strong and honorable." Better to say that than have his son get upset about it.

"Mommy no like?" There was curiosity in his son's voice, which made it all the more obvious to him that he'd not been able to fully conceal his reaction.

"Of course I like it. It's very lovely." He wondered for a moment if it was at all ethical to lie to his children, even with a tiny little lie like that, before he decided that it was for their own good. He just wanted them to be happy, and if naming the rubber duck 'Chuck' made him happy, then he'd make no further comments on it.

Nicolae looked up at him with a tiny pout on his face, one Wolfram knew that he'd inherited from him, and he had to make himself smile back and seem as if he thought 'Chuck' was the most beautiful name he'd ever heard in his entire life.

"Name it 'Liesel,'" Alexandra chirped with another great splash. "Mommy likes 'Liesel.'"

"Mommy would prefer it if you didn't call him 'Mommy,'" Wolfram grumbled under his breath, though he forced his smile to remain on his face to let Alexandra think she was absolutely right. Either way, he didn't think they'd heard him, instead continuing to chatter on between themselves about what to name the duck. He allowed them to, content simply to finish bathing them, glad when bath time was over and he could finally take them out and dry them off.

The nanny still standing close by stepped foreword then, grabbing onto one of the towels as if to help him with them, but he quickly snatched it away from her. "I told you, I don't require your assistance." He turned from her, not bothering to see what her reaction to his remark had been, instead moving to pick his daughter up and lift her out of the tub, setting her on the ground so that he could pat her dry, wringing out her long black hair so it didn't drip all over the floor.

Wrapping the towel around her once she was dry, he gave her another smile in the hopes that she would actually do what she was told for once. "Stand right here and let me get Nicolae out. I'll help you both get ready for bed as soon as he's dry."

Normally he would have dried them off and gotten them dressed right then, one at a time, but Nicolae had taken his sister's departure of the tub as a sign to start splashing in her place, and he could have sworn the little boy was trying to outdo her and make an even bigger mess.

Turning back to the tub to pick up his son, Wolfram released a long, tired sigh. "Yuuri Nicolae, could you please stop doing that?" he reprimanded him, using his full name to let him know that he meant business. He'd never know what would make them think making such a horrible mess was a good idea. He hadn't been like this when he'd been their physical age, had he?

They must have gotten it from Yuuri.

Setting Nicolae down on his feet and kneeling in front of him, Wolfram took up the second towel, patting him dry as well and ruffling it through the dark hair that matched his sister's. "Look at the mess you've both made. There's water all over the floor."

Nicolae at least looked down to see what he was talking about, before glancing up at him again. "I sorry, Mommy."

Wolfram didn't believe it for a second. His son sounded completely unconcerned, like he was only apologizing because he knew that's what 'Mommy' wanted to hear.

He released another sigh, figuring it wasn't worth it to have them prove that they were truly remorseful when he knew very well that they weren't. "It's alright. Let's just get ready for bed."

Alexandra chose that moment to speak up again, having been standing right where she'd been told to while Wolfram dealt with Nicolae. She shook her head as he mentioned going to bed a second time, as if she'd only just realized that their time for play was coming to an end. "I no want go bed."

"You have to go to bed. It's getting late."

Nicolae seemed a bit more agreeable, at least for now. Looking up curiously, he asked, "Sing song and read story?"

Wolfram nodded easily, ready to do just about anything as long as they'd settle down for the night. "Of course. I'll sing and read whatever you'd like."

That seemed to settle it for the younger of the two, who nodded back in agreement. Alexandra, however, had not been mollified by the promise. "No go bed!"

"Alexandra, you-" He turned just in time to watch her dash for the door, and he didn't have the opportunity to try and catch her before it swung open. He feared her escaping and playing a game of chase through the halls of the castle - it had happened before - but fortunately, she was captured before she could do so, and quickly lifted up by a pair of strong arms encased in black cloth.

"Daddy!!" she squealed, and happily threw her arms around her unexpected captor.

Wolfram released yet another sigh, this time in relief. He was not in the mood to play hide-and-seek with his overly rambunctious daughter.

"What are you doing, princess? Where are your clothes? Did you just get out of the bath?" he heard Yuuri ask, holding Alexandra in his arms and closing the door he'd just opened while Wolfram turned his attention back to Nicolae, helping him into his pajamas.

"I no want go bed," Alexandra answered her father, and she was no doubt shaking her head again.

"You don't want to go to bed?" Yuuri parroted back, an attempt at exposing her to more words and getting her to speak properly. "Why don't you want to go to bed? If you don't get some sleep, you'll be too tired to play tomorrow."

Wolfram actually thought a decrease in play time was more preferable. The less time he had to spend chasing them around, the less exhausted he'd be in the evening.

"Wolf?"

He perked up at his husband's call of his name, wiping at his brow once he was done getting Nicolae dressed, turning to face his husband and putting another smile on his face in greeting. "Hi. How was your day?"

"It was fine," Yuuri replied, looking at him skeptically, moving further into the room with Alexandra still in his arms. "Wolf, you're soaked!"

He gave his husband a blank look, completely unimpressed by his observation. "Thanks for stating the obvious." He'd yet to remove himself from the floor, choosing instead to rest for a few moments after the ordeal that was bathing the twins.

Yuuri sputtered at his reply, then frowned. "Did you bathe the twins by yourself again?" He glanced towards the nanny, who gave him an apologetic look and a nod of her head in confirmation. The frown on his face when Wolfram saw it being directed at him again was deeper than before. "Wolf, I hired Henrietta for a reason. Didn't Gisela tell you to be careful?"

Wolfram rolled his eyes, just as he did every time they had this very same argument - which was at least three times a week. "I can bathe my own children." It wasn't like it was an extremely difficult task, just stressful… and wet. "I won't have my children raised by a nanny."

Yuuri rolled his eyes right back, moving to set Alexandra down so that he could unwrap the towel from around her and help her into her own pajamas. "She's not here to raise them; she's here to help you. You're pregnant, Wolfram. You can't expect to be able to do everything on your own."

"I'm not on my own. I get help from you, don't I?" And that was all the help he needed - the help he received from his husband. Any more than that was unnecessary. Or at least that's what _he _thought.

Obviously Yuuri didn't share his opinion, which really wasn't anything new.

"Yes," his husband agreed, pulling their daughter's nightgown over her head, "but I can't be around all the time. I have work to do. Which is why Henrietta is here: so she can help you in my place while I'm unable to."

Wolfram shrugged his explanation off, grabbing onto a nearby chair so he could force himself to his feet. He had every intention of simply ignoring what he was being told, and going about things the way he always did.

"Daddy king," Nicolae told him, tilting his head back to look up at him, and wagging one of his little fingers at him reproachfully. "Mommy do what he says."

Some part of Wolfram thought that his son knew he would one day be king and was well aware of all that the position entailed, and that he looked forward to the day when he'd take his father's place and have all the power and authority himself. It was frightening to think of his three-year-old son sitting on a golden throne with a bejeweled crown on his head, or riding off into the sunset in shining silver armor on a valiant steed he called 'Chuck.'

"That's right," Yuuri was quick to take control of the situation, picking Alexandra back up once he was done dressing her, and turning to his spouse as he stood to his feet as well. "Why don't you change out of your wet clothes? I'll get Nicky and Alex settled and in bed, and then you can come tuck them in."

Wolfram almost argued, but was growing too tired to put up much of a fight, so he relented - just this once. Ushering Nicky over to his father, he watched Yuuri take his hand while holding Alex against him with one arm, and waited for them to leave the room along with the useless nanny before turning to do what he'd been told.

He ignored the mess on the floor for now, though he had every intention of having the maids come in to clean it up as soon as he left the room. In the meantime, he retrieved one of his nightgowns from the wardrobe, laying it on the bed for the little while that it took him to remove his drenched clothing. He paused once the rich black clothes had formed a pile on the floor, and looked at himself in the mirror, letting out what had to have been his tenth sigh for the evening.

His stomach was swollen, no longer the flat plain it had been before his second pregnancy, but round with child. He could feel it kicking away inside of him, though thankfully it was not as harsh with its strikes as the twins had been. He imagined the time of its birth would come soon, perhaps within the next month, and, God willing, he'd have another healthy child to hold in his arms.

At this point in his pregnancy three years ago, he'd been confined to bed, as the twins had given him just as many complications before their birth as they had after. It had been easier this time, thankfully, though still just as exhausting, and while he would very much like to lay down and sleep most of the day away, he had two very important people he'd like to take care of that prevented him from doing that. Everyone, from Gisela to his mother, from Gwendal to Yuuri, had been asking him to take it easy and get some rest - or demanding, in his older brother's case - but he was determined to be there for his children, and do it all on his own if he had to.

That was just the sort of stubborn person he was.

After allowing his eyes to linger for a few moments, and lifting a hand to give his bulging tummy a little caress, Wolfram pulled his nightgown over his head, letting it fall to his ankles as he adjusted the short sleeves on his shoulders. Finished with changing, he turned away from the mirror to head for the door, doing as he'd intended and having the maids come in the remove the tub and clean up, while he himself went across the hall to Nicky and Alex's room.

Yuuri had them in the big bed, which they would share for a few years more before being separated and given their own rooms. They were already lying down, curled up under the sheets and blankets together, big, black eyes looking up at their father as he read to them from one of their favorite books. Wolfram stood in the doorway to watch for a few moments, smiling softly at the three of them, before moving to join them, sitting next to his husband on the edge of the bed.

Yuuri paused to smile at him, but quickly returned to his bedtime task, changing his voice for each of the characters in the story, and reading with enthusiasm. He stopped only when he came to the end of the book, and closed it with a flourish, standing to set it back on its respective bookshelf. "Okay, you two. Story time's over. It's time to go to sleep now."

They both shook their heads vigorously, shouting out their displeasure.

"It no sleep time yet!" Alex exclaimed, her expression determined, while Nicky pouted and grumbled in dissatisfaction. "Mommy sing song!"

Wolfram couldn't help but smile, and slid along the side of the bed now that Yuuri had removed himself, edging closer to his children. "I did promise, didn't I? Let's see…" he trailed off and paused as if to think, before looking at the two of them and allowing them to have their pick. "Which song would you like me to sing tonight?"

They glanced at each other, then shrugged in unison.

He laughed lightly at their shared indecision, reaching a hand out to brush at their hair, then picked from all the songs he knew and started singing to them softly.

"_Evening sun is going down_

_Out on the ocean._

_Wind is blowin' round and round_

_And this is your home;_

_It's our home now._

_Here's the place we go to sleep,_

_And here is your garden._

_I've got one arm for each of you_

_One lullaby for two…"_

He watched their eyes slowly begin to drift shut, even before he was halfway through with the song. They rubbed at them tiredly, and shifted closer to one another, yawning once their eyes finally closed for good, and tumbled off to sleep. Wolfram continued the song even when they were no longer conscious, lightly rubbing at his tummy and feeling the movements of the baby growing inside him begin to slow, before they stopped altogether as it, too, rested peacefully.

Yuuri carefully lowered himself next to him on the edge of the bed once again, and slipped an arm around him to place a hand over his on his stomach. He waited for him to finish his song, before leaning in to place a kiss against his temple, speaking to him quietly so as not to awaken their sleeping children. "Come on. You're exhausted. Let's go to bed."

Wolfram knew better than to think that Yuuri was ready for bed himself; he could probably go a few more hours before needing to rest. But he couldn't argue against the idea of a nice, comfortable bed, and turned to smile at him, giving a shallow nod in agreement. He didn't raise himself up right away, however, and instead leaned over his twins, to give each of his babies a soft, loving kiss good night.

They hardly stirred, not even as Yuuri helped him stand from the bed and guided him to the door. He looked back in on them once they'd made it to the hallway, extinguishing the candles with a light flick of his wrist, before the door was shut and they were left to their dreams.

He turned with his husband then, to go back to their room, knowing full well that all of this, the entire day's maelstrom of events, would be repeated again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. And while the mere idea of it exhausted him, he knew he'd do it with minimal complaint and little help. He'd do it with a smile on his face and a warmth in his heart.

He'd do it with love.

_La Fin._


End file.
